Leading Matters #19 features Kevin Nakao, the Head of Employee Engagement at TINYPulse.  TINYPulse is a solution that helps companies keep their employees happy and engaged.  Kevin shares impact diversity has on company values, and the importance of a focused and well communicated mission.

HR related SaaS offerings have steadily evolved to include the ability to manage the nuance and art of employee engagement.  TINYPulse is one of these SaaS offerings that helps companies literally monitor the pulse and climate of the workforce.  Kevin Nakao is passionate about the topic, and he and the TINYPulse workforce have committed their careers to helping their customers improve how their employees are connected to the mission and values of their companies. 

TINYPulse demonstrates the difference well articulated and communicated mission and values have by making theirs as public as possible.  You’ll not find a job posting from TINYPulse that not only lists out the TINYPulse values, but requests that applicants submit examples of how they have demonstrated those values over the course of their careers

HIGHLIGHTS

The New Frontier of HR SaaS solutions

HR as consumers of software have had their fill of ‘comply, hire and pay’ solutions.  Those are obviously important necessary tactics to manage, but HR professionals know well that there are more strategic elements of the workforce that need attention.  Motivating our employees properly leads to longer retention, and a more engaged workforce.  Kevin shares how TINYPulse understands motivation and challenges their customers to change how they are managing it across their workforce. 

How Organic Adoption Drives HR Innovation

Kevin explains that historically our product and our marketing efforts are improved by building on the lessons of failure.  That is these disciplines are built atop taking some risk in an effort to advance our position.  HR, he suggests, never has that luxury, a reality that discourages HR leaders from taking any risk at all.  This is why, Kevin continues, a bottoms up organic adoption of new technology actually helps HR leaders drive an innovative agenda.

The Importance of a Clearly Stated Mission and Genuine Values

Kevin provides insight into how, using the Mission to Mars Framework popularized by Good to Great Author Jim Collins, a company can swiftly identify their values.  Once identified Kevin believes that committing to  consistent and frequent communication of what and how these values are brought to life by employees will help employees internalize the values.  TINYPulse injects company values into their own talent acquisition process, making it clear to anyone paying attention the perspective from which TINYPulse employees are coming. 

We Shouldn’t Confuse Personality for Culture

Values drive our culture, and personalities add spice to the latter.  A common mistake is for companies to mistake personality for culture.  Anyone, says Kevin, can adhere to a set of values if they identify with them, regardless of their personality type.  This is why it is critical to define the company values, and to understand that diversity is more about welcoming all personality traits into the companies as long as individuals align with the values.